It's not very often that we get to hear a modern piobaireachd. Most piper's prefer the old favourites, and when it comes to competition we all tend to glance over the Piobaireachd Society's Set Tunes, even if just to give ourselves an idea of what is seen as a gold or silver medal tune, no matter if our fingers are up to it or not. It was a real pleasure then, to not only hear a new tune get an airing at the 2008 SPSL member's comp, but also see it take second place in the open competition. Rather than let this tune fade away after it's maiden voyage, on this page you can read comment from the composer, Janette Montague, and the performer, Pipe Major Roger Huth. You can then download not only the sheet music, but also an MP3 recording of the tune, as performed by Roger Huth.
I hope you enjoy the tune as much I do.
Thanks,
Adam.
Sheep in Buchts Kye in Fiels by the composer, Janette MontagueI hadn't actually meant to write a piobaireachd as such, rather to ask the hypothetical question' if I were to write a piobaireachd, how ok is it to have a clear melody ?'. I posted a thread entitled Melody in Piobaireachd on the Bob Dunsire Forum, and there were many replies, including some from those who assumed I WAS writing one. I therefore rose to the challenge. Having said that, it would also be true to say that I have been writing this piobaireachd in my head for at least thirty years, and so the task of getting it onto manuscript paper was a relatively quick one. As this is my first, I stuck closely to a clear Primary structure which was more familiar to me. I described a scene in the music. The location is South West Scotland,- Hillhead, Shawhead, nr Dumfries to be exact. A single cottage and byre sits well away from the road, peat smoke rising from the chimney. Kye in the fields and Sheep in the buchts, and the old lady (Mary Agnes Campbell Templeton Murray) of 93 inside, playing her pipes as she had done every day since the Pipe Major of Cumnock Pipe Band, around 1918 gave her a practice chanter. She walked 14 miles over the hills from
Moorbrock, Carsphairn to Cumnock for her lessons from the Pipe Major. Her sister would accompany her, and they were chaperoned by a shepherd taking a drove of hogs to Cumnock for the market.
Composing music is one thing. But for me the hope is that someone somewhere will want to play it, bring it alive, make it also theirs, and in turn, the listeners will join in the process. Not being a famous piper myself, it seemed that any chance of this happening was remote. I do have a music degree gained thirty years ago, but I only took up piping in 2004. However, I quickly realised the huge potential of the instrument to take a greater place amongst what some people regard as more 'serious' musical instruments, and quickly developed a passion for writing for the instrument. Thanks to the encouragment of members of the Bob Dunsire Forum, and the guidance and feedback from Roger Huth, the piobaireachd came to fruition. The fact that Roger went on to present it at the SPSL competition, and to make the prize list with it, has been truly inspirational. To hear one's music played so exquisitely on a fine instrument is something to be treasured. And the openmindedness of an organisation and a judges bench which could allow new music, is very encouraging.
Sheep in Buchts Kye in Fiels by the performer, Roger HuthI first saw Janette Montague’s Sheep in Buchts Kye in Fiels on the Bob Dunsire website on 1st February 2008 where it was composed by her to illustrate salient points in a discussion on the Piobaireachd forum under the topic ‘Melody in Piobaireachd’.
There were some parts of it that I didn’t take to straight away, but the maturity of them and the way they worked into the piece grew into me, as I repeatedly played and committed the tune to memory.
I quickly discovered that the 1st and second variations were of a fresh freedom that were light, mature and musical, yet a little tricky to finger.
The challenge of the Scottish Piping Society of London’s Members Competition on 12th April 2008 was the perfect opportunity to test the piece. I pestered Janette for the written music which she produced and then she added more pressure by saying that she was coming to London to hear me play the tune. Janette wasn’t travelling 400 odd miles to hear me break down that was for sure.
The gifted Pipe Major Gordon Walker judged the contest along with Hugh Jamieson, so if my pipes held and I could give the piece my very best shot, an honest judgment of the tune would be given.
The fact that I knew Janette was probably in the audience helped me a lot, because I played the tune as much for her as I did for myself and the two judges and audience.
When I finished, I enquired about Janette and the Chief Steward, Gareth Roberts, pointed me to where she was sitting and I went over to introduce myself for the first time. It was a very pleasant meeting and I am so pleased that I managed to play the tune all the way through the way I wanted, and that her journey down had not been a waste. Janette told me that Gordon Walker gave her the thumbs up when I had finished. He’d seen her name on the music page and knew who she was.
My 2nd place in the contest meant that the judges accepted the piece as a serious Piobaireachd and this fact helps me to enjoy playing the tune even more.
The tune is always a thrill for me to play, and everyone, so far, who hears me play it, says how much they like the tune.
For me, it is a very special piece indeed.
Jim Ballantyne recorded me playing Sheep in Buchts Kye in Fiels in the Army Museum Aldershot on Tuesday 1st July 2008, the hottest day of the year so far.
Sheep in Buchts Kye in Fiels; the MP3Left click to open or right click to save, (choose "save target as") file size 7.69MB
Sheep in Buchts Kye in Fiels; the sheet musicLeft click to open or right click to save, (choose "save target as") Adobe PDF
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